Building courage, strength, and knowledge: Mindfulness training reduces psychological threat and increases engagement in college physics
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America April 6, 2026 Tessa M. Benson-Greenwald, Avital Pelakh, Michael J. Tumminia et al.
Significance Many college students experience introductory physics courses as psychologically threatening contexts. Yet, succeeding in these high-stakes gateway courses is necessary to declare majors in engineering and physical sciences. We tested whether mindfulness, which centers attention to subjective experiences, can help provide students with tools to navigate their physics-related...